Repair, Replace, Repeat: III MEF Marines salvage repairable gear

CAMP KINSER, OKINAWA, JAPAN

09.20.2016

Story by Cpl. Natalie Dillon 

III Marine Expeditionary Force   

All over the Pacific, from Australia to Fuji and countless places in between, III Marine Expeditionary Force Marines are using communication devices, operating tactical and a variety of other assets to support their mission. The dramatically different environments that the assets are exposed to takes a toll on them.

Fortunately, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, Combat Logistics Regiment 35 maintains limbs that reach into many places in the Pacific where Marines could run into situations where they require replacement pieces for their damaged gear; known as the Repairable Issue Point.

Occasionally, this will happen when Marines don’t have the luxury of a fully stocked mechanical bay, according to Cpl. Robert Linton, a deployed support unit noncommissioned officer with the RIP.

“In our warehouse, on the shelves we have hundreds, if not thousands of pieces of refurbished gear that Marines can use to replace their broken pieces with,” said Linton. “If they can’t come in and get the pieces they need, we have an expedient shipping system where they can send their items from anywhere in the Pacific and we’ll send them what they need so they can continue their mission.”

Inside the RIP warehouse, they are equipped with anything from entire vehicle engine systems to starters or communication equipment.

“We have gear that we account for valued up to $1,000,000,” said Capt. Pearl Winston, the officer in charge of the RIP.

With so much gear in III MEF being used to maintain the high operational tempo, they are in need of repairs more often than gear in other MEFs, it can be very costly to outright replace that gear with shiny new parts as opposed to making inexpensive repairs to damaged pieces and reintegrating them into the fight.

Repairing damaged pieces costs the MEF 1/3 of the retail price, which is more financially acceptable than spending thousands of dollars’ to replace the of pieces, according to Winston.

After the once-damaged pieces are repaired, they go onto the shelves of the warehouse, where warehouse clerks maintain regular accountability of the gear, until it is ready to be put back to use.

According to Winston, RIP Marines know they will be called upon at any time to support the III MEF mission, and they are always ready to “fight tonight.”

• Date Taken: 09.20.2016
• Date Posted: 09.21.2016 00:26
• Story ID: 210137
• Location: CAMP KINSER, OKINAWA, JP